{{Short description|Ex Pro Footballer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2019}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Johnny Crossan | image = | fullname = John Andrew Crossan | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1938|11|29|df=y}} | birth_place = [[Derry]], Northern Ireland | height = | position = [[Forward (association football)|Inside forward]] | years1 = 1954–1958 |clubs1 = [[Derry City F.C.|Derry City]] |caps1 = ? |goals1 = 5 | years2 = 1958 |clubs2 = [[Coleraine F.C.|Coleraine]] |caps2 = 0 |goals2 = 0 | years3 = 1958–1959 |clubs3 = [[Bristol City F.C.|Bristol City]] |caps3 = 0 |goals3 = 0 | years4 = 1959–1961 |clubs4 = [[Sparta Rotterdam]] |caps4 = 20 |goals4 = 5 | years5 = 1961–1962 |clubs5 = [[Standard Liège]] |caps5 = 33 |goals5 = 6 | years6 = 1962–1965 |clubs6 = [[Sunderland A.F.C.|Sunderland]] |caps6 = 82 |goals6 = 39 | years7 = 1965–1967 |clubs7 = [[Manchester City F.C.|Manchester City]] |caps7 = 94 |goals7 = 24 | years8 = 1967–1970 |clubs8 = [[Middlesbrough F.C.|Middlesbrough]] |caps8 = 56 |goals8 = 7 | years9 = 1970–1975 |clubs9 = [[KSK Tongeren]] |caps9 = 108 |goals9 = 5 | totalcaps = 370 +|totalgoals = 80 + | nationalyears1 = 1959 |nationalteam1 = [[Northern Ireland national football team|Northern Ireland B]] |nationalcaps1 = 1 |nationalgoals1 = 0 | nationalyears2 = 1959–1967 |nationalteam2 = [[Northern Ireland national football team|Northern Ireland]] |nationalcaps2 = 24 |nationalgoals2 = 10 }}
'''John Andrew Crossan''' (born 29 November 1938) is a Northern Irish author, radio sports analyst, entrepreneur, and former [[association football|footballer]]. His brother [[Eddie Crossan|Eddie]] was also a player.
==Club career== Crossan began his career playing for [[Derry City FC|Derry City]], where he played as an inside forward. His talent was spotted by several leading English clubs, including [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]] and [[Sunderland A.F.C.|Sunderland]]. When the latter made a substantial offer, Derry City offered Crossan a payment deal which he rejected, offering his own. When the Sunderland negotiations broke down, Derry City dropped Crossan, who signed for [[Coleraine FC|Coleraine]]. Derry City, still aggrieved by Crossan's actions, reported themselves to the Football League authorities for technical breaches of regulations, thus ensuring that Crossan would face disciplinary action.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvgx2gw109go | title=Londonderry: Shutters to come down on Jobby Crossan's sport shop | date=21 October 2024 |publisher=BBC News |accessdate=2024-10-23}}</ref>
In January 1959, a commission of inquiry imposed small fines on Derry and Coleraine, but banned Crossan from all forms of football for life. A partial lifting of the ban was allowed following an appeal, in May 1959 the inside forward signed for Dutch Champions [[Sparta Rotterdam]],<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/archive/1959/0523/Pg003.html#Ar00307:78A3FB7A941080945A82746F7B43FC7F3411 |title= |date=1959-05-23 |newspaper=[[The Irish Times]] |issn=0791-5144 |location=Dublin |language=en-ie |url-access=subscription}}</ref> where he was first called up to the [[Northern Ireland football team|Northern Ireland]] squad.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-foyle-west-48203125 | title=Jobby Crossan: Ban out of order, says ex-Man City man | work=BBC News | date=12 May 2019 |accessdate=2024-10-23}}</ref>
Crossan went from there to [[Standard Liège]], where he played in the semi-final of the [[UEFA Champions League|European Cup]] against [[Real Madrid]]. In 1963, Crossan returned to football in the UK (following the lifting of his 'life-time' ban) when he was signed by Sunderland, with whom he made it to the old [[Football League First Division|First Division]]. He then signed for [[Manchester City F.C.|Manchester City]] who were playing in the old [[Football League Second Division|Second Division]]. As team captain, he helped them make their way into the old [[Football League First Division|First Division]], before being sold to [[Middlesbrough F.C.|Middlesbrough]] after a loss of form following a car crash and other health problems.
==International career== Internationally, he was capped 24 times by [[Northern Ireland national football team|Northern Ireland]] and scored 10 goals.
===International goals=== <!---DO NOT DELETE REPEAT ENTRIES!!! REPEAT ENTRIES REPRESENT Johnny Crossan SCORING MULTIPLE GOALS IN A GAME!!!---> ''Scores and results list Northern Ireland's goal tally first. '' {| class="wikitable" ! # !! Date !! Venue !! Opponent !! Result !! Competition |- | 1 || 28 November 1961 || [[Belfast]], Northern Ireland || {{fb|POL}} || 2–0 || [[1964 European Nations' Cup|UEFA Euro 1964 qualifying]] |- | 2 || 20 November 1963 || London, England || {{fb|ENG}} || 3–8 || [[1964 British Home Championship]] |- | 3 || rowspan="2" | 29 April 1964 || rowspan="2" | [[Belfast]], Northern Ireland || rowspan="2" | {{fb|URU}} || rowspan="2" | 3–0 || rowspan="2" | [[Friendly match]] |- | 4 |- | 5 || 14 October 1964 || [[Belfast]], Northern Ireland || {{fb|SUI}} || 1–0 || [[1966 FIFA World Cup qualification]] |- | 6 || 17 March 1965 || [[Belfast]], Northern Ireland || {{fb|NED}} || 2–1 || [[1966 FIFA World Cup qualification]] |- | 7 || rowspan="3" | 7 May 1965 || rowspan="3" | [[Belfast]], Northern Ireland || rowspan="3" | {{fb|ALB}} || rowspan="3" | 4–1 || [[1966 FIFA World Cup qualification]] |- | 8 || [[1966 FIFA World Cup qualification]] |- | 9 || [[1966 FIFA World Cup qualification]] |- | 10 || 2 October 1965 || [[Belfast]], Northern Ireland || {{fb|SCO}} || 3–2 || [[1966 British Home Championship]] |}
==Management== After his playing days, Crossan had a spell in management and took the top job at [[League of Ireland]] club, [[Sligo Rovers]]. He resigned soon after.
==Media career== He also commentates for [[BBC Radio Foyle]] when they cover Derry City games.
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{worldfootball.net|johnny-crossan|new_id=pe69134}} * {{NFT player|36245}} * {{NeilBrownPlayers|player/johnnycrossan}} * [https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2011/nov/02/forgotten-story-john-crossan-ban ''The forgotten story of John Crossan's lifetime ban'' by Simon Burnton, ''The Guardian'' 2 Nov 2011]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Crossan, Johnny}} [[Category:1938 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Association footballers from Derry (city)]] [[Category:Men's association footballers from Northern Ireland]] [[Category:Men's association football forwards]] [[Category:Expatriate men's association footballers from Northern Ireland]] [[Category:Northern Ireland men's international footballers]] [[Category:Derry City F.C. players]] [[Category:Coleraine F.C. players]] [[Category:Bristol City F.C. players]] [[Category:Sparta Rotterdam players]] [[Category:Standard Liège players]] [[Category:Sunderland A.F.C. players]] [[Category:Manchester City F.C. players]] [[Category:Middlesbrough F.C. players]] [[Category:NIFL Premiership players]] [[Category:K.S.K. Tongeren players]] [[Category:Eredivisie players]] [[Category:Belgian Pro League players]] [[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in the Netherlands]] [[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Belgium]] [[Category:English Football League players]] [[Category:Sligo Rovers F.C. managers]] [[Category:League of Ireland managers]] [[Category:Northern Ireland men's amateur international footballers]] [[Category:Association football managers from Northern Ireland]] [[Category:Expatriate sportspeople from Northern Ireland in Belgium]] [[Category:Expatriate sportspeople from Northern Ireland in the Netherlands]]